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Works Cited
"What's a wetland?." Ranger Rick 30.4 (1996): 22. Primary Search. EBSCO. Web. 19 
Apr. 2011.
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WHAT'S A WETLAND? 

A wetland is land that's wet, right, Willy? 
Right--at least part of the time. Even when it looks dry, scientists can tell 
it's a wetland. They check things such as the soil and plants. The yellow and 
pink wildflowers, for example, happen to like their roots in soggy soil. 
Just remember these three things from Mr. Mallard's intro to wetlands: water, 
mucky soil, and "wet-footed" plants. Got the picture? 
Yeah, but are all wetlands the same? 
No way! Most folks think of three major wetland groups: swamps, marshes, and 
bogs. It's easy to tell the difference between the first two. Swamps have mostly 
trees or shrubs, and marshes have mostly grassy plants. Bogs are spongy, mossy 
wetlands where dead plants pile up faster than they can rot away. All those 
plants form thick layers of peat. 
Lakes are wet. Aren't they wetlands too? 
Not really--they're too wet. Remember wet-footed plants? Well, lakes are mostly 
too deep for plants to grow right up out of them. That goes for oceans and most 
ponds, rivers, and streams too. But the edges of these bodies of water and 
waterways . . . now, that's a different story. 
Different, how? 
The edges are where the water is often shallow enough--or the soil just soggy 
enough--for wetland plants to take hold. But you can also find wetlands far from 
any deep water. Mountains may have low spots where water collects. And water 
seeping up from underground can make a wetland--even in a desert. 
No matter where you find them or what you call them, wetlands make wonderful 
places to explore. So come along with me, Wet Willy, and check out some wetlands 
right now. How? Just unfold the next pages to march into a freshwater marsh, 
slog through a salt marsh, and tromp in a cypress swamp! 
When you get to each one, take a good look first. What kinds of plants do you 
see there? How many different animals can you find? What are they doing? Next, 
check it all out by reading. And don't miss the list of who's who in each 
wetland. 
ILLUSTRATION 


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